Understanding the transcriptomic response of alfalfa under waterlogging

JAIME CAMILA; GIECO JORGE; DAURELIO, LUCAS D.; DUNGER, GERMÁN

Congreso; LVI Annual SAIB ? XV SAMIGE Meeting. 2020; 2020

SAIB

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a perennial plant with high nutritional value, rich in minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and sulphur) and vitamins. The global production of alfalfa is distributed across an area exceeding 35 million ha over more than 80 countries. Due to its forage quality, yield potential and versatility, the global demand for alfalfa has increased. Argentina is one of the main world producers of alfalfa, with around 4 million hectares cultivated, showing the importance of this crop for our economy. Stress in plants imposed by waterlogging constitutes one of the major abiotic constraints on growth, agricultural productivity and persistence. A major constraint resulting from excess water is an inadequate supply of oxygen to submerged tissues. In addition to the threat of oxygen deficiency, excess water also leads to other changes in the plant; among them reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the major biological component of low oxygen stress. In this sense, we study the participation of the ascorbate-glutathione pathway during this abiotic stress. Ascorbate is required for metabolizing reactive oxygen species and its action is essential to protect the plant cells against free oxygen radicals, especially under stress conditions.This work combine diverse bioinformatics approaches for achieving a better understanding of the molecular processes involved during waterlogging of alfalfa plants.Taken together, these results will facilitate the development of biotechnological strategies to reduce the excess water damage in such an important crop as is alfalfa.